Operation HOPE Announces 20 Year Service Report Card

Financial dignity nonprofit releases results around 20 years of programing

Los Angeles – On the anniversary of its founding, on May 5, Operation HOPE (HOPE), released the latest statistics around its initiatives and program, highlighting the 20 year impact of the organization's financial literacy programs for youth and adults, digital empowerment and Mortgage HOPE Crisis Hotline (MHCH).

Program-to-date figures ending in 2011 show that clients at the HOPE Center Cyber Cafés, through technology training and computer usage, have made the most impact and sustained participation, with 241,577 computer users logging on since the program was instituted in 2000.

Data also shows the continued demand for the MHCH toll-free foreclosure prevention assistance, with 155,243 callers reported using the service. Clients continue to show increasing interest in HOPE’s core empowerment programs within its Financial Literacy Education, which include: Homeownership, Credit Management, and Foreclosure Prevention programs, with a total of 79,918 clients participating since its inception.

It is also noted that HOPE’s Small Business Entrepreneurial Training Program, conducted over a 12-week period, continues to grow in popularity with HOPE, educating over 2,600 participants to date, and showing a trend for underserved communities becoming more self-reliant.

The organization’s key youth financial literacy program, Banking on Our Future, meanwhile, reported that an astounding 618,532 youth have been trained under program to date, for year ending 2011.

“The results show that for individuals in communities where HOPE services are offered there is a steady gain in usage. HOPE believes that continued empowerment will help raise individual credit scores in low-wealth communities and ultimately transform underserved neighborhoods into 700 credit score communities," said Operation HOPE Founder, Chairman and CEO John Hope Bryant. “By raising credit scores through our credit counseling programs in our HOPE Centers, we will work within and outside the walls of our HOPE Centers to raise the bar and change the culture of underserved communities. With this raised awareness, these communities will begin to demand and receive better products and services, raising the status of poor neighborhoods into emerging markets.”

Provided over 72,000 clients with Emergency Financial First Aid Kit and PDPGs guides

Received over 155,243 calls for Mortgage HOPE Crisis Hotline

Created over 41,430 profiles for mortgage foreclosure prevention assistance

HOPE Financial Dignity Center (HFDC)

Served over 104,793 clients

Educated 78,918 adults in financial literacy*

Successfully modified 356 loans at $105.1 million

Generated $915,317,931 in home modification, mortgage, business loan approvals

Graduated 2,600 clients from the Small Business Entrepreneurial Program

HOPE Corps

Number of HOPE Corps volunteers reached 16,517

Empowered more than 100,000 youth across the world for Global Dignity

Global Dignity was taught in 50 countries

Based around a financial dignity model, and delivered through its core financial literacy portfolios--Banking on Our Future, HOPE Coalition America, and the HOPE Financial Dignity Centers--Operation HOPE is working to change the way people think about money and resources. These programs are part of the organization’s mission to empower individuals in underserved communities to become stake holders and create a sense of self-sufficiency.

HOPE provides practical tools and financial strategies to people in under-resourced areas. In its 20 years, the organization has made “silver rights” a national priority, helped more than 2 million individuals move up the economic ladder, and has raised over a 1.4 billion dollars in historic grant funding and community investment for low-wealth communities.

Established in 1992, after the worst urban riot in U.S. history, HOPE celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, continuing its “silver rights” mission to assist underserved communities through financial literacy programs that increase net worth and promotes financial dignity.

About Operation HOPEHeadquartered in Los Angeles, Operation HOPE promotes financial dignity through financial literacy and education tools to underserved communities. Through its four core portfolios, the organization has provided youth and adult financial literacy, economic preparedness, digital empowerment, promoted home ownership, and assisted with foreclosure prevention to more than 2 million individuals, families, and small business owners. To learn more about Operation HOPE visit www.operationhope.org; follow us our Twitter and like us on Facebook.